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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195379">Cracked From the Start</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kameiko/pseuds/Kameiko'>Kameiko</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>My Chemical Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Humor, Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:47:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kameiko/pseuds/Kameiko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Plushies depicting messages on mugs are the true inspirers for any creative writer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Trick or Treat Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cracked From the Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AquamarineDreams/gifts">AquamarineDreams</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I can’t do this anymore!” Gerard slams his empty mug down on the counter, cursing out loud when the ceramic breaks. So much for <em>The Plushies made me print this in such tiny sans lettering on here</em> <em>to control my creative anger</em> <em>but in reality this message has no meaning, and I made you look at the cute shark </em>saying that’s in a print way too small for the non-glasses wearer to see that wouldn’t get this joke. He squints to see the toothy blue shark face stare back at him with teary eye sadness.</p><p>“I really am losing my mind.” He runs a hand through his tangled hair to see some oils in between his fingers from the lack of showering within the past two days. Reason? He has a deadline he needs to meet in order for the pilot episode of his new short mini-series to air on TV by next month. “I take back everything I’ve said about something being easier than the other. This is a shit of a nightmare I want to wake up from.”</p><p>A script of a hallucinogenic nightmare! He slams his laptop closed and stares back at the shark that’s giving him a thumbs up with a speech bubble that’s telling him that he can do this and the thoughts of accomplishment will come after the meets of hard labor. Just channel his inner feelings of the creative happiness and doom that comes out on the screen after having a relaxing bath and a good night’s rest. That or he just needs to cut off all caffeine from his meals. He gets up and goes to the kitchen to grab another coffee packet and another mug that has a familiar engraved symbol from a comic he wrote in his earlier days on it, bringing back happy memories of encouragement.</p><p>He traces the symbol, memories of his former bandmates pop into his head, giving him a thumbs up with a blue foam finger on both hands, and funny enough his imagination is being creative with fireworks in the background and Plushie sharks are everywhere whistling and cheering him on! Gerard snorts out a laughter when characters start flying through the sky on golden chariots and are waving at him. The donkeys with a carrot dangling in front of them as an incentive to keep flying through unexplained physics doesn’t go unnoticed.</p><p>“Maybe this is what I need. To write something as ridiculous and silly as this. Like previously.” Gerard abandons his attempt at making himself drink and goes back to his computer. He knows what he needs to do now. Pulling out a notebook from the desk drawer he starts jotting down everything he witnessed in the memory and slams the sticky note on the broken part of the shark’s face. Satisfied when no karma or more self-realization blows the wind away, he treats himself to a meal, shower, and a good night’s rest. The sticky note is of a sleepy shark under a bunch of covers with Z’s in a thought bubble over its head.</p>
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